


the stars that fill polluted skies

by writtendlessly



Category: Sorted (Website) RPF
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 21:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16920591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtendlessly/pseuds/writtendlessly
Summary: When Mike looks at James he sees the sun.





	the stars that fill polluted skies

**Author's Note:**

> i love this ship, i love sad stuff, mike needs a hug, ask me about the sorted discord, thx.

When Mike looks at James he sees the sun. Something all encompassing, impossible to ignore, so strong and powerful. James will put his all in everything he does, will not stop until its perfect. Just as the sun provides light and energy for the whole world without stopping, James gives them all the encouragement and motivation they need on even the toughest of days. If Jamie is stressed after a day full of meetings, James is always ready with a warm meal from the test kitchen and a stupid joke. When Barry is so tired his normal level of mumbling quiets to just silence, James will wrap an arm around his shoulder on the couch and let him rest. When Ben is beating himself up over a stupid mistake that ‘no trained chef should make’, James will fill the air with his own stories of mistakes until Ben is laughing too much to say anything more.

Mike watches these small moments and all he can think is _sunlight_ , feeling the heat that radiates from James’ smile, knowing deep inside that he himself is more of a natural disaster than a celestial body. More chaos and destruction than joy and stability. 

And yet, James shines on him anyway. James is there with small smiles and gentle touches whenever Mike needs it. On days his editing is taking too long and there’s deadlines to meet, on days when he’s dropping eggs and knives, on days when he’s out of focus, microphones off, stove unplugged, useless and undeserving—even then James loves him. And like the sun, that love is unwavering, uninhibited, unending, so much so that it’s maddening sometimes.

Mike never had high hopes for himself. Coasting through school, working easy jobs, making some music but never showing it to anybody. He expected his life to be comfortable but boring, and there are times when Sorted doesn’t seem real and he is counting down the days until he goes back to his old indifference. But James? He was always destined for greatness. He has talent, intelligence, charm, so much dedication that he accomplishes anything he sets his mind to without breaking a sweat. Even after this dream ends and they have to move on, James will be on to bigger things; restaurants, television shows, all the glory our measly earth could ever hope to bestow on something as great as the sun.

Mike just hopes he can enjoy the warmth for one more summer, one more relaxed weekend on an apartment balcony with beers and barbeque, one more night in a loving embrace, before he makes a mistake, causes a hurricane or earthquake, and his world is plunged into darkness again.

 

 

When James looks at Mike he sees the sun. Something joyful, enlightening, so loving and forgiving. Mike will accept anyone with open arms, will try anything once. Just as the sun provides happiness and hope after rain, Mike gives them all the laughter and strength they need on even the toughest of days. If Jamie is too deep in paperwork to remember he is also a human, Mike will always buy him a packet of crisps and leave them perched precariously on his head. When Barry is overanalyzing and rethinking his every decision in life, Mike will pull him back to reality with a memory from school that has them both crying with laughter. When Ben is six takes into a video and only on step one, Mike will coach him through his lines, with only minimal ribbing, until Ben can recite them with ease. 

James watches these small moments and all he can think is _sunlight_ , feeling the happiness that fills the room like mid-day sunrays and knowing that all the while, Mike is convinced he’s a storm cloud in an otherwise blue sky. 

And so, James does everything he can to help him shine. James shifts the attention to Mike whenever he can, giving him well-deserved compliments and praise on his camera work, his script writing, his ability to charm anyone he meets. When Mike is working too long on edits, James will pluck the laptop out of his hands and pass it off to someone else, giving Mike something even better to do with his restless energy. When Mike is clumsy and full of small mistakes, James will put a grounding hand on his shoulder, will let Mike unleash all his solar flares in a safe direction and then send him off on his way, careening through space and time.

James knows that Mike doesn’t expect much of himself. But he also knows Mike well enough to know that’s rubbish, and Mike will make an impact in anything he does, whether it’s music or videos or something else entirely. Mike knows better than anyone how to work a camera, how to work a room, how to give himself to others so completely that he struggles to get the pieces back in the right order by the end of the day. 

James just hopes that he can be the moon, reflecting Mike’s light, for as long as possible. He hopes when time marches on and the sun is needed in new areas, spreading light to new people, that he won’t be a new moon forgotten, but rather a full moon on a cool autumn night, lighting the path as lovers walk through fallen leaves. He hopes that together they can be an eclipse, a natural phenomenon, something that people can’t help but admire and talk about for years to come.


End file.
